New Hampshire
A Glimmer of Justice: New Hampshire Moves to Amend Settlement Fund for Youth Center Abuse Victims
Imagine carrying a burden, invisible and heavy, through decades, your voice unheard, your pain unacknowledged. Now, envision a moment, not of retribution, but of recognition, a step towards healing. This is the precipice upon which over 1,400 individuals stand, as New Hampshire legislators contemplate a crucial bill that seeks to extend a lifeline to those who experienced abuse as children at the state’s youth detention centers.
A Beacon in the Dark: Expanding the Settlement Fund
In a move that intertwines compassion with justice, the proposed legislation aims to significantly widen the eligibility criteria for the settlement fund, thereby embracing a broader spectrum of suffering endured by former residents of the Sununu Youth Services Center, formerly known as the Youth Development Center. Under the current system, claims are largely restricted to sexual assault or severe physical assault. However, the bill, borne out of intense negotiations, proposes to include victims of reckless conduct, criminal threatening, child endangerment, solitary confinement, unlawful strip-search, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Attorney General John Formella, addressing the Senate Judiciary Committee, underscored the dual nature of this moment: a deep-seated shame for the past coupled with a burgeoning pride in the efforts to make amends. The scandal, which unraveled in 2019 following charges against two former workers, cast a long shadow over the institution’s legacy, dating back sixty years. Among the voices seeking justice is David Meehan, who bravely shared his harrowing experiences, leading the charge against the pervasive culture of abuse that once thrived in the shadows of the detention center.
The Human Cost: Victims’ Voices
The narrative of reform and restitution is punctuated by the poignant testimonies of those who endured unimaginable horrors. Brett Malcolm, one of the claimants, shared his ordeal in a letter to the committee, shedding light on the added insult of bureaucratic indifference he faced when seeking redress. His story, like many others, underscores the profound impact of the abuse, not just as a physical and emotional scar, but as a systemic failure to protect the most vulnerable.
The proposed amendments promise a more inclusive and empathetic approach to compensation, with victims of egregious sexual abuse eligible for up to $2.5 million, and those subjected to non-sexual abuse or solitary confinement receiving up to $250,000 and $100,000, respectively. This legislative overhaul not only acknowledges the varied dimensions of abuse but also extends the filing deadline, offering a beacon of hope to many who had resigned themselves to silence.
Looking Forward: The Path to Healing
While the bill represents a monumental shift towards accountability and healing, it is but the first step on a long road. The state has earmarked $100 million for the settlement fund, a figure that, while substantial, may pale in comparison to the depth of the trauma inflicted. Yet, for many victims, this gesture is less about the financial compensation and more about the acknowledgment of their suffering.
As New Hampshire stands on the brink of enacting meaningful change, the story of its youth detention centers serves as a potent reminder of the consequences of neglect and the resilience of the human spirit. The proposed settlement fund expansion, though not a panacea, offers a semblance of justice to those whose childhoods were marred by abuse. It is a testament to the state’s commitment to right the wrongs of the past and to ensure that such dark chapters are never repeated.
The New Hampshire Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Saturday, July 4, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from July 4 drawing
17-38-46-50-69, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from July 4 drawing
Day: 6-5-3
Evening: 8-0-6
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from July 4 drawing
Day: 9-8-1-3
Evening: 2-9-4-1
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Megabucks Plus numbers from July 4 drawing
06-10-19-22-33, Megaball: 04
Check Megabucks Plus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 4 drawing
17-20-37-40-43, Bonus: 04
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the New Hampshire Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Pick 3, 4: 1:10 p.m. and 6:55 p.m. daily.
- Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Megabucks Plus: 7:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
- Gimme 5: 6:55 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a New Hampshire managing editor. You can send feedback using this form.
250 years in, and America is still a work in progress. Many American poets have written hymns and howls, declarations and outcries for this country that brims with so many people, and so many hopes, from all over the world.
“I Hear America Singing,” Walt Whitman wrote, in the 1850s.
“…the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
…The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else…”
Emma Lazarus’ “The New Colossus” was inscribed on the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal in 1903. It’s a poem in praise of immigrants who were cast out from other lands and found safe harbor in America.
“Give me your tired, your poor,” wrote Emma Lazarus.
“… your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
But Langston Hughes’ 1949 poem, “Freedom,” reminds us that many Black American families did not sail to America under the flame of a welcoming lamp, but were captive, shackled, to be sold into bondage. After the Emancipation Proclamation, many still endured segregation, bigotry and the constant threat of racist violence.
“I tire so of hearing people say, let things take their course,” wrote Langston Hughes.
“Tomorrow is another day.
I do not need my freedom when I’m dead.
I cannot live on tomorrow’s bread.”
This week, as the U.S. Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship, you might read Shirley Geok-lin Lim’s 2017 poem, “Learning to Love America,” about how immigrants make America their own as they start families here.
“…because to have a son is to have a country,” she writes.
“…because my son will bury me here
because countries are in our blood and we bleed them”
The America great poets see is imperfect, unsettled, and unfinished, even after 250 years. Lawrence Ferlinghetti wrote in 1958 these words that still ring out:
“…I am waiting
for a rebirth of wonder
and I am waiting for someone
to really discover America”
Copyright 2026 NPR
A Times Square Ball Drop, a rolling series of ball drops, timed to occur at midnight on July 3 in every U.S. time zone from Guam to American Samoa, is part of the “Giving 4th Broadcast Benefit Show,” creating a nearly 24-hour celebration of the 250th anniversary. It’s part of the broader “Giving 4th” initiative that aims to make and establish Independence Day the biggest annual day of giving.
A time capsule will be buried in Philadelphia to be opened in 2276 on July 4. It contains a carefully curated collection of letters and artifacts reflecting the leadership, institutions, and communities that shape the country today. It will include contributions from all three branches of the U.S. federal government and submissions from each of the 50 states, Washington D.C., and five territories.
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